Throughout history and legend, amazons have always stood firm as the ultimate warrior women, the ideal of female triumph in a male dominated world. But who are the amazons, a race who counts the deepest jungles as their domain and ruthlessly slays any intruder? The Slayer’s Guide to Amazons peels back the fog of myth and legend to reveal, for the very first time, the true story of these incredible women.

With lithe, supple bodies and stunningly attractive features, the amazons are deceptive to any outsider encountering them for the very first time. Few make any mistake the second time around if they survive this encounter, for amazons are truly cruel and capricious, dedicated to destroying any influence the outside world may have upon their civilisation. Far from being pri...

Pound for pound, muscle for muscle, bugbears are stronger, sneakier and far more unpredictable than their other goblinoid cousins. They are brutal guerrillas who strike fast and fade away, bursting onto the scene to wreak terrible havoc before vanishing. If they could ever unite under a single banner, or maintain the military discipline of the hobgoblins, they would shake the heavens with their rage. Fortunately for the rest of the world, bugbears are as fractious as they are violent, driven by chaotic urges and consuming greed that prevent them from developing the social structure of more advanced races.

Whilst it is true centaurs are a highly secretive race, there are those who have had prolonged contact with them. Most swear themselves to silence with regards to the things they have seen and heard in their time with the enigmatic creatures, but a few have seen fit to record and relate their experiences. Whole generations of adventurers are in debt to such people. The Slayer’s Guide to Centaurs compiles the knowledge of all these wise people into one invaluable tome, though no responsibility can be taken as to what adventurers might actually do with this resource. Only this will be said – if you plan foul play against centaurs, be prepared to face the most capable of enemies. Evil to he who thinks evil.

Evil, chaos and destruction; depravation, insanity, unmitigated cruelty. Pain, horror and madness. The ultimate incarnations of darkness, this is what demons embody. As malignant as a necromancer or a demonologist may become, they are still no match for the limitless evil of the lowest dretch. There is no redemption for these outsiders, as they seek only the destruction and corruption of all that exists.

Within these pages you will find a wealth of information concerning demonic essence, the Abyss and other haunts where these creatures thrive and the brutal society in which they exist, giving an additional level of understanding on how these outsiders interact with the rest of the world. Players will learn how to detect and eradicate demonic influence on the Material Plane and t...

The dwarven races are quite diverse, but perhaps the most deviant, both physically and mentally, is the derro. Though seen as corrupt and malignant by most of their kin, derro perceive themselves as superior to their brethren. They scoff at their brethren’s naïve notion of blind obedience to kin and kith. For derro, it is power that should be respected and nothing else. Guided by this precept, the derro follow the powerful not out of any sense of loyalty toward them but because it is from them that power can be derived. This lust for power drives derro from birth to death in a never-ending struggle for personal glory and honour.

Lurking just below the surface, derro have been, for most players and Games Masters, an unseen menace. This Slayer’s Guide shall remedy...

What creature has more magnificence, more savage ferocity and more sheer power than the dragon? The great wyrms stand tall as the ultimate challenge an adventurer may face. Rare is the player who does not dream of besting one of these terrible creatures, of plundering its hoard and basking in the glorious reputation enjoyed by a dragon slayer.

Whether you are a Game Master seeking to add more depth to the dragons of your campaign or a player hoping to learn the secrets of the dragon slayer we invite you to join us on a journey into the hidden world of the dragon. Along the way we will learn the secrets of these tremendous beasts, their arcane sorceries, their mating habits, methods of warfare and more. Within these pages new types of dragon are revealed for the first time and nu...

The duergar, often called grey dwarves, live well-hidden in the darkness of the cold ground, revelling in mischief and evil deeds of all sorts and despising their cousins still living on a surface world now forbidden to them. Once a mysterious people, more has been discovered about their way of life, and sages hope that with the information provided by their texts one will be able to understand the intrinsic nature of these creatures and be aware of the danger they represent.

Duergar are masters of treachery and deceit and are engaged in an everlasting struggle with the other races of the underdark in their search for dominance over those realms. Drow are their fierce competitors in this domain, but duergar have surrounded themselves with such ingenuity that even dark elves have...

Elementals are among the most primal forces in the mythology of many cultures, raw elements given life. This in turn has gifted them a firm place in many a campaign world. Some authorities believe all matter to be made from the four elements, with even humans and other sentient creatures being possessed of an elemental nature.

Fighting an elemental is like fighting a whirlwind, a raging inferno, a mountain or the sea itself. You can try and, if you are powerful enough, possibly even succeed, but there is a certain implacable quality to the elements. All can seem unstoppable forces and the earth elemental might also be regarded as an immovable object. Anyone who battles with such powers must fear being overcome, unless they can employ similarly strong forces themselves.

The Slayer’s Guide to Female Gamers What, in truth, do we know about female gamers? Those few who have encountered them over the years have been left baffled; some even psychologically damaged by the experience. The very nature of the Female Gamer may be so inhuman, so unknowable, so terrifying that it causes mental damage, hysteria and sometimes drooling. Reports of their nature are therefore sketchy, incomplete and often written in non-toxic crayon on circles of paper. Biblical scholars of the frothy and spectacularly be-bearded bent define them as evil; citing the mythical figure Eve from the bible as proof positive they are all foul and seductive temptresses who are on this earth to lead men astray from the path of righteousness and impressionable choirboys.

Understand this. The Games Master is your enemy. He may come under different names - Games Master, judge, referee... friend - but he is always your enemy. It’s a different game he’s playing, with different rules and different objectives.

His game is about control and dominance. He might dispute this, may use words such as ‘storytelling’, but ask yourself this: Whose story is it he wants to tell?

His.

Now contrary to what certain 1980s animated series might have had you believe, Games Masters are not in the habit of descending from the heavens to walk the earth, for the very good reason that within five minutes they’d find themselves with a knife to their throat, and a voice whispering in their ear: ‘Tell the dragon to back away...

In legend, few creatures command such a powerful, superstitious awe as giants. In fantasy campaigns though, they are often dismissed by players, seen as a mere step on the way to higher-level encounters with dragons or demons. A means of garnering plenty of experience points, but not a serious challenge to a well-equipped party with a spellcaster or two and the first clue about tactics. Such a complacent attitude can be very dangerous, particularly if the giants use their natural advantages to maximum effect.

Giants are often first encountered singly or in small family groups, either menacing a local community or preying on travellers through mountainous country. At higher levels they may be found in larger tribes, often working with lesser creatures such as ettins, trolls and e...

The second supplement to be printed in the acclaimed series from Mongoose Publishing, The Slayer's Guide to Gnolls focuses on this bloodthirsty race, from their brutal and savage society to their lethal tactics of ambush.

Ravenous packs of gnolls are the bane of many adventurers. Inhuman in the extreme, this vicious race delights in acts of cruelty and brutality against the weak, the defenceless and the innocent. This book contains everything you need to hunt down and annihilate these evil creatures.

First published in 2001, The Slayer's Guide to Gnolls has been sold out for over a year, and is now resurrected in PDF form to provide both old and new fans of Mongoose Publishing the opportunity to acquire this rare book.

Throughout history, creatures of all types have underestimated the goblin's cunning and sheer will to survive. Often they have paid for this misconception with their lives. Deep in the warren of a goblin tribe there is no room for error. This harsh and unforgiving environment shapes the goblin and thwarts the invader. Full of a hatred for all life, driven by their dark god to unspeakable depravity and far more cunning than Game Masters and players have given them credit for, goblins are truly worthy of our respect. They breed faster than most races and given time can outlast and overwhelm most enemies. They are masters of stealth, traps and ambushes and goblins are rarely spotted until it is too late. This book will introduce you to the customs, legends and culture of...

Harpies are cruel and vicious monsters that delight in the suffering of others. They also elevate selfishness and narcissism to new heights in their constant drive to establish their superiority over ‘lesser’ species, such as humans, dwarves and elves. Yet many Games Masters probably consider harpies no better than animals, unthinking brutes that can be used to challenge low to mid-level adventurers once creatures such as orcs and hobgoblins cease to pose a threat to them. Unfortunately, this fails to take into account the unique strengths and abilities of the harpy which, when used properly, allow them to be used as opponents for even high-level characters. The Slayer’s Guide to Harpies is designed to provide the Games Master with ideas on how to do just that.

The Slayer’s Guide to Hobgoblins is the first in a new series of comprehensive sourcebooks from Mongoose Publishing. It features extensive information on the military race of Hobgoblins, from their complex tribal structure to their very efficient methods of waging war.

Games Masters will find a huge amount of new material they can incorporate into their existing campaigns, allowing them to portray hobgoblins with incredible depth. Players will find each Slayer’s Guide to be an invaluable tool for their survival, giving them that necessary vital edge.

Kobolds are a common sight in many campaign worlds; deemed by most adventurers to be a minor nuisance at best. Certainly, most experienced adventurers would question the need to study kobolds in any great depth, but then, few have faced the full might of a kobold clan and lived long enough to warn others of the peril they offer. The Slayer’s Guide to Kobolds offers insight to all adventurers in the culture and society of this vicious race, enabling them to track down, engage and wipe out dozens of these murderous beasts. It can only be hoped that such efforts will be enough to stall and drive back a race that is, almost literally, numberless.

No race in any campaign world, however, exists solely to provide cannon fodder for allegedly heroic adventurers. The Slayers Guide t...

Nearly all monsters are shrouded in some mystery. Even the so-called â€˜commonâ€™ beasts that plague the intelligent races are in some ways unknown despite efforts to probe their secrets. Many become increasingly familiar to us as we constantly ask of our friends and allies, and from this information we piece together what we can. However, there are some creatures that will forever resist our attempts. Those that live beyond the material world are, by definition, inexplicable: anything we can learn is so otherworldly as to defy interpretation. However, even here on this plane there are creatures that we cannot hope to gather much information on. Of these creatures, the kraken stands in the forefront as the most mysterious. The Slayers Guide to Kraken of...

The most blasphemous of scholars would place the creation of the world not in the hands of the gods, but in the hands of nature herself. In such a creation myth it was not the elves or the dragons who came first, but the reptiles – the dinosaurs, the crocodiles, the lizards and the lizardfolk. Of course, such a myth has little basis in the truth of things, but it is an interesting postulation. There is no doubt that the race of creatures known as lizardfolk, or lizardmen, is an ancient one indeed. Often overlooked because of their savagery and animalistic tendencies, the lizardfolk people are as much a part of the history of the world as men, dwarves and elves.

As a reptilian race, lizardfolk prefer to live in the warmer parts of the world, in swamps and marshes throughout...

Many adventurers are familiar with the minotaur, at least in general terms. It is quite common to hear stories about dashing, heroic fighters battling a fierce minotaur to the death at the heart of the foul creature’s dark labyrinth. Some of these stories, no doubt, have some truth to them. However, it is the vast amount of untold stories that truly tell the tale of the minotaur.

These tales tell of a more dangerous beast, one, which does not merely sit at the centre of its labyrinth waiting to be slaughtered. They speak of a creature that utilises the darkness and the confusion inherent to its labyrinthine home to torment those foolish enough to venture into this den of evil.

Mist Elves. Every elf believes that his particular people were the original elves, the oldest of the old. Mist elves are no different – except that they may actually be right! Mist elves call themselves ‘the daoine’ and, like grey and wild elves, point to themselves as the true first elves. They are a mystery even to their brethren, combining the arts and traits of most of the sub-races to lend credence to their claims about their origin. This supplement for d20 fantasy games adds an entirely new sub-race to campaigns. Mist elves are a rare and enigmatic race with many inherent differences to their more common kin. Games Masters can use the information provided here to introduce their players to an ancient line of elves they have never before encountered. Alternativel...

The common ogre stands nine to ten feet tall, smells like a dung heap and avoids direct confrontations. The merrow resemble their land-bound cousins but breath water and swim like fish. Finally we have the ogre mage, a creature somehow related to the common ogre but remarkably different; although they share a similar physical appearance the ogre mage represents a much greater threat than an ogre.

The earliest depictions of ogres show them as large, degenerate human beings. They may also possess animalistic qualities, twisted human features or even radical deformities like useless limbs or extra eyes. Although later stories and sightings elaborate on these original themes, they remain true to them.

Orcs are the foot soldiers of evil, the creatures that make up the hordes of darkness that threaten to overwhelm the good peoples and turn the entire land into a region of little else than slaughter and depravity. Most Games Masters use them as the guardians of low-level dungeons, just a slight step above kobolds as a threat. Often they are simply portrayed as evil humans and are given little more thought than that.

Rules-Lawyers are an unexpectedly hardy breed of disgusting humanoid (at least in physique) creature. To all outward appearances they are a normal human being, like you or me, and it is only by their strange behaviour and very close (often post-mortem) physical examination that they are revealed to be anything other than Homo Sapiens. Scholars are in agreement that Rules-Lawyers have been around at least as long as games of any kind have existed.

Some go as far as to say they have existed as long as rules themselves have existed in this universe. They are said to have lived among us, alongside man and his more primitive and slope headed ancestors since time itself began, waiting for them to lose interest in football and develop the wheel.

For those that live far from the sea the sahuagin are unknowable creatures of the deep, used by parents as bedtime cautions to wilful children. Or perhaps they are told of around the campfires by adventurers, their tongues and imaginations loosened by mead, in electrifying deeds of bravado. These deeds are the product of an alert mind and an ear for a good story, for few away from the gentle lapping of the briny sea have ever met, let alone bested, the sahuagin and lived to tell such a rollicking tale.

What are scorpionfolk and where do they come from? This is a question that many have asked; what is known is that they are brutal and destructive. But who are they really, and how can they be so savage and yet still exist? Surely they would all have killed one another in an orgy of violence; so there must be more to the scorpionfolk than meets the eye. The Slayer’s Guide to Scorpionfolk will lift the veil that obscures these fascinating and dangerous creatures from mortal ken.

The first travellers realise they are the targets of a scorpionfolk raid is when they are faced with the awesome vision of these huge creatures charging them. Somewhat akin to centaurs, these creatures appear to be the blending of two forms, that of a monstrous scorpion some 10 feet in length with a ...

Titans have become are the archetype for size, beauty and might. They are powerful beyond reckoning and more skilled than any other race – but still, they bend their knees and serve. Some are the universal archetype of good, others are just as rapaciously evil, but all suffer from terrible rages and fits of emotion. Finally, and most curiously of all, they are said to be “masters of their own fates” – but despite their vast power, the titans seem to have little impact on the world. What are titans? Any one has the power to challenge a kingdom, or shatter an entrenched fortress, but they rarely act for the goals they claim to cherish. Why?

Troglodytes are a thoroughly foul reptilian race with all the chill mercilessness and cruelty of a cold-blooded snake. Many consider them to be as evil as the most loathsome of demons. Troglodytes inhabit the underdeep of the world for they are creatures of the dark but may also be found in the rocky peaks and passes of desolate mountains. These few tribes who live near the surface wage a constant war on nearby settlements during cold, moonless nights.

In the past many Games Masters have simply used Troglodytes as sword fodder for adventuring parties. Their skill with javelins, foul scent glands and chameleonic ambush abilities combined with large numbers make them truly lethal opponents. Up to now they have rarely been treated with the depth and detail such a race deserves. Wit...

The Slayer’s Guide to Trolls provides detailed information on trollish physiology, habitat, and society, giving you a fundamental level of understanding on how this race exists and interacts with the rest of the world. Players can learn the types of combat tactics trolls are likely to employ against their characters and Games Masters are given guidelines on how to introduce trolls into their existing campaigns, and will also benefit from material demonstrating how to portray these creatures to the players. A few troll subspecies can change the expectations of any encounter, as do the new trollish feats that alter the standard troll into something even more horrific. Finally, a complete troll lair is featured to be used as either an extended encounter, the basis for a complete set ...

Written by the father of gaming himself, Gary Gygax, the Slayer’s Guide to Undead is a 128 page book jam packed full of new information on creatures of the night. From the humble skeleton, through the dreaded wraith, to the most powerful liches of all, this Slayer’s Guide will revitalise any campaign with new and exciting ways to bring the dead to life. New creatures are fully detailed, along with tips on how to use undead in campaigns and fill players with dread whenever they appear. A complete mini-scenario, penned by Gary Gygax, is also included to set players off in the most desperate quest they will yet face.

The Yuan-Ti are often portrayed as sadistic, malevolent creatures intent on dominating the world at all costs. The very image of the scaly, humanoid reptiles with venomous fangs and wicked, yellow eyes fills most people with dread. For Game Masters, this makes them the ideal antagonists: Alien in both appearance and motivation, they can easily, and with little explanation, be dropped into any campaign or adventure as the fiendish masterminds behind virtually every conflict the characters run up against.

They are a society of long standing tradition, placing as much value in erudition as other cultures might place in martial prowess. Players and Games Masters alike will discover a wealth of possibility hidden within the vast empire of the Yuan-Ti. For the inquisitive, there is a ...

These products were created by scanning an original printed edition. Most older books are in scanned image format because original digital layout files never existed or were no longer available from the publisher.

For PDF download editions, each page has been run through Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to attempt to decipher the printed text. The result of this OCR process is placed invisibly behind the picture of each scanned page, to allow for text searching. However, any text in a given book set on a graphical background or in handwritten fonts would most likely not be picked up by the OCR software, and is therefore not searchable. Also, a few larger books may be resampled to fit into the system, and may not have this searchable text background.

For printed books, we have performed high-resolution scans of an original hardcopy of the book. We essentially digitally re-master the book. Unfortunately, the resulting quality of these books is not as high. It's the problem of making a copy of a copy. The text is fine for reading, but illustration work starts to run dark, pixellating and/or losing shades of grey. Moiré patterns may develop in photos. We mark clearly which print titles come from scanned image books so that you can make an informed purchase decision about the quality of what you will receive.

Original electronic format

These ebooks were created from the original electronic layout files, and therefore are fully text searchable. Also, their file size tends to be smaller than scanned image books. Most newer books are in the original electronic format. Both download and print editions of such books should be high quality.